Quick action switch



Dec. 8,1959 A. R. MAIS 2,916,575

QUICK ACTION swx'rcH Filed Nov. 27, 1957 '.QUICK ACTION SWITCH AdolfRolf vMais, Enskede, Sweden, assignor to Aktiev bolaget Hagglund &Soner, Ornskoldsvik, Sweden ApplieationNovemberM, 1957, serial No.699,220

`Claims priority, application Sweden.November-2-8, 1956 3-Claims. (Cl.v2410-76) ylihelpresent invention relates to a quick actionswitch fPatented Dec. 8,195.9

ICC

carrier 10. The central portion .of the contact carrier 10 is stampedout in such a way that two hook-shaped coupling arms 12 land -14 areformed. The arrangement is suchthatthe hook-shaped end of each couplingmember is located between the hook-shaped end of the other `coupling.member andthe connecting `point of the latter with thecontact carrier.Thus, the two ends .of each coupling .member are in engagement with theactuating Vfmember'l and the contact .carrier 10 respectively -on bothsides of the center of the contact mechanism. The

- ,hook-shaped ends are journalled in grooves 21 `of ac- ;and, moreparticularly, to a contact mechanism .which comprises a contact carrierhaving contact elements on both of its ends and also comprises anactuating member, while said contact carrier and said actuating memberare connected with each other by a snap mechanism including tworesilient coupling elements. The two ends of each coupling element areconnected to said actuating member and the contact carrier on both sideswith regard to the central portion of the contact mechanism.

With heretofore known contact mechanisms of the above mentioned type,the resilient coupling elements are arranged between the actuatingmember and the contact carrier in such a way that they rest against thatelement only which is located in the central portion of the contactmechanism, namely, either against the actuating member or against thecontact carrier. This means that the movable contact carrier is underthe influence of two spring forces. With such an arrangement, it isnecessary that in each instance two springs have to be selected whichhave a fully identical spring force in order to insure that the contactcarrier can assume the desired balanced position in order to bring aboutthe simultaneous closing or opening of the contacts at both ends of themovable contact carrier. However, experience has provide that suchbalance of the spring forces is rather diiiicult to achieve and causesconsiderable production costs.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide acontact mechanism or quick action switch which will overcome the abovementioned drawbacks.

lIt is another object of vthis invention to provide a quick actionswitch with a plurality of contacts, which will always assure a properand simultaneous establishment or interruption of all contacts orcircuits governed thereby.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear moreclearly from the following specication in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a contact mechanism according to the presentinvention with a contact bridge in form of a spring comprising elementsserving as coupling elements.

Fig. 2 illustrates the contact mechanism of Fig. l in a differentposition.

Fig. 3 is a section on line III- III of Fig. 1 along the plane of thecontact bridge.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modication of the contact mechanism according tothe invention.

The contact mechanism according to the present invention ischaracterized primarily in that the coupling elements are designed asresilient arms which are xedly connected to the contact carrier and/oractuating member.

Referring now to the drawing in detail illustrating the invention by wayof example in connection with a microswitch, the switch mechanism showntherein comprises a bridge of spring sheet metal which forms the contacttuatingmember v1.6, which latter is movable jwithin certain 4limits in ayplane perpendicular to the major plane .ofsaid contact .carrier 10. Theends-of the contact carrier 10 have ltxedly connected thereto .contacts18 for cooperation with stationary contacts 18tz, 18b.- `The freedomofvmovement of the actuating member 16'is limited in upward and downwarddirection by abutments 20 and 22 respectively.

The operation of the contact mechanism according to the invention is asfollows. When the actuating member 16 while occupying its position shownin Fig. 1 is subjected to a force directed in the direction indicated bythe arrow A, the actuating member moves downwardly. During the firstportion of this downward movement, the coupling arms 12, 14 are beingplaced under tension. This spring tension reaches its maximum value whenthe plane of the arms 12 and 14 substantially coincide with the plane ofthe contact carrier 10, which latter is then under the influence of twospring forces directed away from each other and at a right angle withregard to the direction of movement of the contact carrier. The contactcarrier then occupies an unstable position. If the actuating member 16is now moved slightly further downwardly, the unstable position isexceeded and the contact carrier 10 will be subjected by arms 12 and 14to an upwardly directed force so that the contact carrier 10 willinstantaneously spring upwardly in the direction toward the uppercontacts 18a into the position shown in Fig. 2. The contact carrier 10,the actuating member 16, and the coupling arms 12 and 14 thus act as asnap mechanism. Due to the fact that the actuating member 16 in itsFigure 2 position is subjected from below to an upwardly directed force,the contact mechanism again may be returned to its Figure l position.

Also the movement of the contact carrier 10 from the lower contacts 18!)to the upper contacts 18 is likewise effected instantaneously.

If a further spring force 24 and a push button 26 as shown in Fig. 4 isprovided which spring force has the tendency to retain the actuatingmember 16 in its upper position according to Fig. 1 or its lowerposition according to Fig. 2, its contact mechanism will act as a pushbutton switch.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawing butalso comprisesany modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination in a contact mechanism: a contact carrier, anactuating member for actuating said contact carrier, a plurality ofcontact elements respectively connected to opposite end portions of saidcontact carrier for contacting stationary contacts, and resilientcoupling members integral with said contact carrier and respectivelyextending in cantilever manner from opposite ends thereof along oppositesides of said actuating member, the free ends of said coupling membersrespectively engaging said actuating member so as to be movabletherewith, said coupling members being substantially of uniform-lengthWhile their points of engagement with said actuating member and whilesaid contact elements are symmetrically arranged with regard to thatplane of symmetry of said actuating member which extends in thedirection of movement of the latter.

2. In combination: a first and a second pair of stationary contactmeans, each of said pairs having two contacts spaced from each other andalso spaced from the contacts of the other pair, a contact carrierinterposed between said two pairs of contact means and comprising twomovablel contacts respectively xedly connected to the outer end portionsof said contact carrier for respectively and selectively contacting saidrst or said second pair of contacts, a reciprocable actuating'rnemberfor actuating said contact carrier, and resilient coupling arms integralwith said contact carrier and respectively extending in cantilevermanner along opposite sides of said actuating member and respectivelyhaving their free ends hook-shaped and in engagement with said actuatingmember so as to move therewith, said coupling arms being substantiallyof uniform length, while their points of engagement with said actuatingmember and while the two movable contacts of said contact carrier aresubstantially evenly spaced from the plane of symmetry of said actuatingmember which extends in the direction of movement of the latter.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the hook-shaped end ofeach coupling arm is located between the hook-shaped end of the otherarm and the point of connection of the latter with the contact carrier.

References Cited in the le'of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,332,911 Hausier oct-26, 1943 2,472,333 Kohl a June 7, 1949 2,473,088Bain June 14, 1949 2,518,255 Roeser Aug. 8, 1950 2,526,850 CharbonneauOct. 24, 1950 2,582,034 Hausler Jan. 8, 1952 2,769,048 Harrold Oct. 30,1956

